The invention generally relates to conveyor beds or frames and, more particularly, to a bed or frame construction which is convertible in size in at least in regards of run length and width, as well as methods of achieving the conversion(s) in size thereof.
It is an object of the invention to provide a conveyor bed for supporting a sliding conveyor thereon, which bed is produced from conveyor-engaging materials that have a low coefficient of sliding friction.
It is an alternate object of the invention that the above conveyor bed incorporate transverse nose bars on the ends where the conveyor rolls over and longitudinal wear strips extending between the transverse nose bars for providing intermediate support.
It is another object of the invention that the nose bars and wear strips be made of low friction materials, including plastics like polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, nylon, polymers of acetyl resins and so on.
It is an additional object of the invention that either the wear strips or nose bars disassemble easily and without fasteners to facilitate convenient and frequent disassembly and re-assembly for maintenance purposes such as hose-down or cleaning operations.
It is a further object of the invention that the bed include side rails which are preformed with apertures and notches and the like so that the side rails can be severed in two and quickly be re-assembled into a converted bed assembly which is of reduced length than the original side rails before severance. That is, the line of severance is taken through an aperture so that the resulting slot or recess is adapted to receive a sliding portion of a nose bar or the like.
These and other aspects and objects are provided according to the invention in a conveyor bed assembly that has opposed sides and transverse nose bars on the ends of the sides to form an open frame. A deck is situated inside the frame to support a sliding conveyor thereon. The side members, more particularly, extend between opposite ends. The pair of transverse nose bars are adapted to be connected between respective pairs of the ends of the side members and thus form the open frame.
Either the nose bars or the side members are formed with slideway portions. Correspondingly, the other of the side members or the nose bars have portions formed as slide portions. That way, the nose bars and side members releasably couple or uncouple by the slide portions being received in or separated out of a given slideway by relative movement along a direction generally common with the plane of the deck. One advantage of this is that the nose bars are adapted to gain positional stability on the ends of the side members by the felt weight of the conveyor rolling over the nose bars. Another advantage is that the slideway and slide portions are adapted to facilitate ease of frequent cycles of disassembly and re-assembly for maintenance operations such as hose-down or cleaning operations.
To turn attention to the deck, it optionally comprises a plurality of other transverse members (eg., other than the nose bars) adapted to be connected between the side members, as intermediate the nose bars, to form a ladder-like assembly. There are a plurality of elongated wear strips that lay on and releasably couple to the transverse members at spaced positions between the opposed side members and intermediate the nose bars. The elongated wear strips provide the deck that supports the sliding conveyor.
Either the wear strips or transverse members are formed with recess portions. Correspondingly, the other of the transverse members or the wear strips have portions formed as inter-positioning portions. That way, the wear strips and transverse members releasably couple or uncouple by the inter-positioning portions being received in or separated out of a given recess therefor by relative movement along a direction generally perpendicular to a plane of the deck. An advantage provided by this arrangement is that it facilitates ease of frequent cycles of disassembly and re-assembly for maintenance operations such as hose-down or cleaning operations.
To revisit the connection between the side members and nose bars, it may optionally comprise the side members"" ends being formed with open mortises which define the above-recited slideways. Correspondingly, each nose bar is produced to extend between spaced lateral edges that are formed with T-headed tenon portions that define the above-recited slides.
A further aspect of the invention has it convertible to reduced lengths from original lengths in accordance with the following. That is, the side members might be formed with elongated apertures intermediate each""s ends. That way, the side members are convertible from a given length between the ends to a reduced length by severing each side member through a given elongated aperture into at least one use piece and another piece such that the severed aperture in the use piece serves as a succeeding open mortise for accepting a given T-headed tenon of one of the nose bars. Needless to say, the nose bars are re-usable without modification.
Correspondingly, the elongated wear strips are sizable by severance each accordingly to fit such severed wear strips between the nose bars of the reduced-length side members.
To revisit the connection between the wear strips and the transverse members, the transverse members optionally comprise rungs. Such rungs need not be limited to uniformly round stock though that might be preferred. The wear strips have an upper edge forming a conveyor supporting surface and a lower edge formed with a series of notches. The notches are sized and arranged for receiving the rungs. Also, the wear strips (because of the notches) are adapted to gain positional stability on the rungs from the weight of the conveyor sliding across the upper edge. More preferred is if the wear strips are notched for closely fitting the rungs in order to further stabilize the wear strips from unwanted displacement on the rungs.
It is preferred that while the wear strips and nose bars are produced from materials having a low coefficient of sliding friction, the side and transverse members may be produced from any suitable material such as the preferred stainless steel stock. The wear strips and nose bars may be made from plastic materials. In accordance with the foregoing, the wear strips and nose bars disassemble and re-assembly very easily and without fasteners to allow frequent, fast maintenance such as hose-down or clean-up and the like. Additionally, the side rails are pre-perforated for cutting into pieces to convert the over-all encompassing conveyor bed from a size of an original length to a succeeding size of a reduced length. The nose bars are re-usable without modification. The wear strips need merely be trimmed to a shorter size. Otherwise, the slots needed in the side rails to accommodate the nose bars are brought into existence by the very act of severing through a strategically placed aperture in the side rail.
Additional aspects and objects of the invention will be apparent in connection with the discussion further below of preferred embodiments and examples.